


There's Always Much Ado About Nothing

by imagineagreatadventure



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Theatre, F/M, One Shot, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, References to Shakespeare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-17
Updated: 2015-04-17
Packaged: 2018-03-23 09:29:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3763009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imagineagreatadventure/pseuds/imagineagreatadventure
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brienne is roped into the life of an actress and doesn't hate it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's Always Much Ado About Nothing

Brienne wasn’t sure how she got roped into this.

Or, rather, she had some suspicions about it all, but decided that she rather not think about it too much.

_It started with Sansa Stark._

Sansa demanded that Brienne and Arya try out for the local theater’s production of “Much Ado about Nothing.”

Arya, bored out of her mind, agreed for what she called “shits and giggles”.

Brienne always knew she was doomed when the two Stark girls agreed about something.

Sansa was cast as the lovely and sweet Hero while Arya decided to help volunteer with the lights (Brienne suspected it was mostly because the cute light technician caught Arya’s eye). Brienne meanwhile…

The director, Wyman Manderly, sighed at her, “You’re just not a good fit for any of the characters. But,” he continued, smiling at her kindly, “you do have talent.” 

 _Talent._ That was the only reason she made herself stay and watch the show from the background, as she was relegated to one of the non-speaking roles - the random giantess in the crowd who reacted appropriately to the shocking and humorous events in Much Ado.

She wasn’t even sure if she was enjoying herself really. While it was fun to watch Sansa act as Hero and to watch the actress who played Beatrice, Margaery Tyrell, take down Benedict (who was played by the stupidly handsome, egotistical Jaime Lannister), she couldn’t help but wish she wasn’t fifth understudy for Beatrice.

But then she regretted ever thinking such a thing once the events started happening (something that she suspected was the result of Theon Greyjoy mentioning the Scottish Play by its name in a stupid joke he did to scare Jeyne Poole, Sansa’s understudy). 

Margaery Tyrell fell down the stairs at Renly Baratheon’s 21st birthday party. Rumor had it that she was pushed, but Brienne tried not to think about that.

Then Jeyne Westerling, the first understudy, caught mono from her boyfriend Robb Stark and was too tired and ill to do much of anything, especially a demanding lead role like Beatrice. And almost immediately after finding out she was supposed to play the part of Beatrice, Asha Greyjoy dropped out and decided to go on a rock tour with her band instead. Which left Arianne Martell who took one look at Jaime Lannister and refused to be Beatrice unless he was fired.

Jaime stayed, smirking as Arianne marched off the theater’s premises.

And so Brienne was Beatrice.

Her wish had become true.

And she regretted it.

“So you’re the girl who Wyman has been raving about,” Jaime smirked when he saw her. Despite working together for about a month now, these were the first words the older man had ever said to her.

She shrugged, “I suppose.”

Jaime watched her, his eyes heavily lidded, “He says you got talent if nothing else.” Brienne winced. No matter how many times people said the truth, it always hurt her.

He laughed and she wondered if he noticed her wince, “We’ll do fine, wench.”

“I’m not a wench. My name is Brienne,” she corrected, trying to ignore his gaze by flipping through her script.

“Whatever you say, wench.”

She threw her script at his head.

The next few weeks followed this pattern. He would call her wench and she’d either ignore him or hit him. Wyman Manderly was at first worried about this development between his two leads, but then noticed how strong their onstage chemistry was when they were in scenes together.

He began to encourage their antics.

_“Jaime, I believe Brienne called you an egotistical jackass a few moments ago.”_

_“Brienne, Jaime was talking about your eyes again. Oh and I think he has a new nickname for you.”_

The rest of the cast followed their director’s lead, cracking jokes and teasing the two of them. The only ones who didn’t were the Stark girls, but even Arya would sometimes watch Jaime with a puzzled expression.

And when Brienne would ask about it the younger girl would just give Brienne a  _look_.

A look that expressed exactly how stupid she thought they both were.

It was the same look that Margaery had on her face when Brienne told her about everything Jaime was doing. Margaery had decided to visit since her legs were much better, although she was still on crutches.

“I swear it was Cersei Lannister who did this, but,” Margaerly smiled primly and Brienne wondered idly, not for the first time, how much Margaery hid inside herself, “I’m glad you and Jaime are getting along.”

“I think getting along is the complete opposite of what we’re doing,” Brienne said, remembering that only this morning she called Jaime a stupid jackass.

“He wouldn’t even talk to me outside our scenes, Brienne. And I know Jeyne had a similar experience. Who else does he talk to at this stupid theater besides you?”

Brienne bit her lip and Margaery grinned, her eyes crinkling in triumph.

Opening night came and went with barely a peep. While it wasn’t a disaster, it wasn’t the victorious opening that Manderly sorely wanted.

But Brienne almost didn’t care. She knew she did well, despite her anxieties, and that she didn’t even mind kissing Jaime this time when the scene came up. Usually he did something to try and make her laugh or something, but instead, it was as if he really was kissing her like a man in love.

He was a good actor, she reflected at the after party, watching Jaime. He was loitering by the exit, not smirking as he usually did. Instead, his expression was pensive.

Their eyes met and Brienne felt almost as if she had been caught looking at porn. His smile was too soft, too good, to feel anything but shame.

He walked over to her quickly, as if he was afraid she was going to run away, and he grabbed her hand, “C’mon, Brienne, I think we should practice that scene.”

Her tongue was numb, “What scene?”

“The sex scene I just made up.”

Brienne choked on her drink and Jaime laughed, before kissing her.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt fill for tumblr and I wrote it awhile ago and just decided to publish it on here. :)  
> Hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
